The TSA posted a picture of the dog and the bag on its Instagram feed, captioning it:" Ay, #chihuahua! It’s always important to double check your bags before traveling, especially to make sure your chihuahua hasn’t stowed away inside one of them."

The chihuahua made it onto the TSA's blog detailing prohibited items found in luggage - which also included 51 loaded firearms. According to the blog, TSA officers have discovered firearms at security checkpoints in 41 of 50 US states this year.

The dog is not the first animal to have been found in travellers' luggage at airport security. Last year a boy at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport was found trying to smuggle his pet turtle onto a plane in his underwear. A man was also found trying to take a turtle with him by hiding it in a KFC burger in 2013.